Sinking Ships and Dead Pilots

[Q-Ball]

In WITP, when a ship sinks, every pilot on board is a KIA. IRL, this of course was not the case; at Midway the IJN lost only 40% of the total pilots committed, and most of those were shot down rather than sunk on a ship (per Shattered Sword). I would bet not a single pilot was lost when Lexington, Yorktown, or Wasp went down.

Will AE somehow save some of the pilots from a sinking ship?

Or, will every pilot still stay on the ship?

Probably more important for Japan, because if Midway happens in WITP, there are no pilot survivors.

[Lanconic]

I have a better question. Do we still lose all the trained pilots when a base is strafed
or bombed?

That is equally untrue.

[herwin]

ORIGINAL: Lanconic

I have a better question. Do we still lose all the trained pilots when a base is strafed
or bombed?

That is equally untrue.

It's basically the same question.

Another issue is that historically, air units based in the same hex as the ground forces they were supporting were much more effective. The USMC adopted Harrier jump jets (in part) because they could land just behind the front lines and be ready to provide direct support on an as-needed basis. In the game, air units in an enemy-occupied hex are not allowed to fly and are subject to overrun. It surprised the daylights out of me the first time I tried to use air according to historical doctrine in Burma.

[Japan]

So... whats the Anwser to This Question ???
 
As Far as i Understand it, Pilots usualy were housed arround 15-25 min from the Airport to avoid gettining killed if Airfield was Attacked... so how will it be in AE ???
 

[Q-Ball]

are trained pilots lost if a base is strafed or bombed?  I wasn't aware that was the case in WITP.  I haven't seen big pilot losses from bombing, but someone correct me if I am wrong.  I have seen big pilot losses from my pitiful IJA fighters attempting to CAP the base, but that's different.

My original question:  In AE, if the ship sinks, will all pilots aboard still die?

[Panther Bait]

Q-Ball, I am with you.  I don't typically see lots of pilot deaths from bombing/strafing of air bases.  There might be a few, but I seem to end up with squadrons with a lot more pilots than airframes after a big bombardment.  Nothing like the "go down with the ship" dedication carrier (or float plane) pilots exhibit.

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

are trained pilots lost if a base is strafed or bombed? 

Yes, some, but not a lot.

Edit: I'm talking about WitP, not AE. I have no clue about AE.

[TheElf]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

In WITP, when a ship sinks, every pilot on board is a KIA. IRL, this of course was not the case; at Midway the IJN lost only 40% of the total pilots committed, and most of those were shot down rather than sunk on a ship (per Shattered Sword). I would bet not a single pilot was lost when Lexington, Yorktown, or Wasp went down.

Will AE somehow save some of the pilots from a sinking ship?

Or, will every pilot still stay on the ship?

Probably more important for Japan, because if Midway happens in WITP, there are no pilot survivors.

This is no longer the case. One of the first things I did, 2 yrs ago now was resolve to fix this. As it stands now the code will check for "Mass Ditchings" in the event you experience a Midway-type cataclysm. This will check each pilot for rescue, and is dependent on the size of you TF. In other words the more ships you have the better the survival rate of your pilots.

These "orphaned" pilots are sent to the RESERVE POOL with a Random delay for travel and such, and then stand ready to fill out units that need veteran pilots.

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: TheElf
This is no longer the case. One of the first things I did, 2 yrs ago now was resolve to fix this. As it stands now the code will check for "Mass Ditchings" in the event you experience a Midway-type cataclysm. This will check each pilot for rescue, and is dependent on the size of you TF. In other words the more ships you have the better the survival rate of your pilots.

One more kick-ass improvement! Thanks Elf!

[Lanconic]

ORIGINAL: TheElf

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

In WITP, when a ship sinks, every pilot on board is a KIA. IRL, this of course was not the case; at Midway the IJN lost only 40% of the total pilots committed, and most of those were shot down rather than sunk on a ship (per Shattered Sword). I would bet not a single pilot was lost when Lexington, Yorktown, or Wasp went down.

Will AE somehow save some of the pilots from a sinking ship?

Or, will every pilot still stay on the ship?

Probably more important for Japan, because if Midway happens in WITP, there are no pilot survivors.

This is no longer the case. One of the first things I did, 2 yrs ago now was resolve to fix this. As it stands now the code will check for "Mass Ditchings" in the event you experience a Midway-type cataclysm. This will check each pilot for rescue, and is dependent on the size of you TF. In other words the more ships you have the better the survival rate of your pilots.

These "orphaned" pilots are sent to the RESERVE POOL with a Random delay for travel and such, and then stand ready to fill out units that need veteran pilots.

However that didnt answer my question about pilots at airbases.

[SireChaos]

ORIGINAL: Panther Bait

Q-Ball, I am with you.  I don't typically see lots of pilot deaths from bombing/strafing of air bases.  There might be a few, but I seem to end up with squadrons with a lot more pilots than airframes after a big bombardment.  Nothing like the "go down with the ship" dedication carrier (or float plane) pilots exhibit.

I typically see something like one pilot killed or wounded per 3 planes destroyed by strafing or bombing. I think, but I am not sure, that it might actually be less than that, but a small portion (maybe 1 in 10) of the pilots of damaged planes also get killed or wounded.

[bradfordkay]

Elf's comment seems to apply only to aircraft actually flying at the time of a carrier being sunk. Does it apply to all pilots aboard the ship as well? 

[Fishbed]

ORIGINAL: Lanconic

ORIGINAL: TheElf

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

In WITP, when a ship sinks, every pilot on board is a KIA. IRL, this of course was not the case; at Midway the IJN lost only 40% of the total pilots committed, and most of those were shot down rather than sunk on a ship (per Shattered Sword). I would bet not a single pilot was lost when Lexington, Yorktown, or Wasp went down.

Will AE somehow save some of the pilots from a sinking ship?

Or, will every pilot still stay on the ship?

Probably more important for Japan, because if Midway happens in WITP, there are no pilot survivors.

This is no longer the case. One of the first things I did, 2 yrs ago now was resolve to fix this. As it stands now the code will check for "Mass Ditchings" in the event you experience a Midway-type cataclysm. This will check each pilot for rescue, and is dependent on the size of you TF. In other words the more ships you have the better the survival rate of your pilots.

These "orphaned" pilots are sent to the RESERVE POOL with a Random delay for travel and such, and then stand ready to fill out units that need veteran pilots.

However that didnt answer my question about pilots at airbases.

Why would he touch it? Ratio of pilot losses when a land base is bombed or bombarded fits quite well IMHO. Never had any sort of "pilot onslaught", even when the whole IJN was pounding the base with 18 inches guns...
Dead pilots on the base perimeter is fair play. Sh*t happens, and AFAIK so far the sh*t is not happening in a scandalous fashion, even in stock WitP...! [&:]

Btw Thanks The Elf for the freaking absolutely wonderful stuff about embarked pilots! That was a long awaited change

[Fishbed]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

Elf's comment seems to apply only to aircraft actually flying at the time of a carrier being sunk. Does it apply to all pilots aboard the ship as well? 

Ho yes, right. Didn't understand it that way.
But I doubt it - but maybe The Elf is a wizard? [:)]

[timtom]

ORIGINAL: Fishbed
but maybe The Elf is a wizard? [:)]

I'm sure Elf will agree that the real wizard is the air team code god Mike "Magic" McFarland

[NormS3]

Quick question- If a land combat over runs an airfield with damaged ac and losts of stranded pilots, what happens to these pilots? Is there a chance that they could be picked up via transport ac?

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: Norm3

Quick question- If a land combat over runs an airfield with damaged ac and losts of stranded pilots, what happens to these pilots? Is there a chance that they could be picked up via transport ac?

Is that an AE question or WITP?

Current state for WITP, pilots from Fragments get magically reunited with the parent unit. Pilots from Parent units die, and the unit itself goes to the reinforcement screen for like a year later.

[NormS3]

Sorry.  Both/Either  Just had a situation where I lost a crack fighter daitai at Lunga.  most pilots were intact, just stranded.

[Lanconic]

ORIGINAL: Fishbed

ORIGINAL: Lanconic

ORIGINAL: TheElf



This is no longer the case. One of the first things I did, 2 yrs ago now was resolve to fix this. As it stands now the code will check for "Mass Ditchings" in the event you experience a Midway-type cataclysm. This will check each pilot for rescue, and is dependent on the size of you TF. In other words the more ships you have the better the survival rate of your pilots.

These "orphaned" pilots are sent to the RESERVE POOL with a Random delay for travel and such, and then stand ready to fill out units that need veteran pilots.

However that didnt answer my question about pilots at airbases.

Why would he touch it? Ratio of pilot losses when a land base is bombed or bombarded fits quite well IMHO. Never had any sort of "pilot onslaught", even when the whole IJN was pounding the base with 18 inches guns...
Dead pilots on the base perimeter is fair play. Sh*t happens, and AFAIK so far the sh*t is not happening in a scandalous fashion, even in stock WitP...! [&:]

Btw Thanks The Elf for the freaking absolutely wonderful stuff about embarked pilots! That was a long awaited change

Why would he not?
Knowing what happens to your pilots when the base is bombed is important.
What you consider an acceptable loss, may not be what I would consider an acceptable loss.
You statements about how such losses are currently handled is subjective.
I would like an answer =)

[Fishbed]

Why would he not?
Knowing what happens to your pilots when the base is bombed is important.
What you consider an acceptable loss, may not be what I would consider an acceptable loss.
You statements about how such losses are currently handled is subjective.

So is yours. AFAIK I read about killed pilots on the ground quite more often than I see them actually die in WitP.
Yes indeed, loosing a couple pilots to a BB bombardment on an lvl 1 airfield on an Atoll is what I call "an acceptable loss", and I guess such a statement is closer to objectivity than anyone who would believe it to be way too much already...